Posted by denised in Remember the anti-bullying bill New York legislators proposed a while back? Here’s a refresher..
If legislators have their way it might soon become illegal to be a bully boss – well at least in New York anyway. The legislation in question defines a bully boss as “someone who is motivated by malice and who is destructive and injurious.” And, if approved by the NY state assembly next year the bill would allow bullied employees to sue for damages.
Well, the bill died in the New York Assembly Labor Committee. The bill would have created a cause of action for bullying in the workplace, but opponents say the bill was ill-defined and overly broad.
Bullying is tough to define and even tougher to prove. Maybe legislation would have deterred a few bully bosses and employees, but odds are, probably not many as we’d like to think. In my opinion, the problem is two-fold. It boils down to rude, arrogant, and usually incompetent people, choosing to make the lives of others a living hell – just because they can. Corporations and HR Managers who choose to turn a blind eye, compound the problem by simultaneously empowering bullies and bad bosses while stripping employees of power, pride and morale. Unless and until businesses consistently nurture positive workplaces where good management and respect are the order of the day, no amount of legislation, passed or not, will make a bit of difference.
Read more about the blocked bully bill here.
